In a heartfelt and wide-ranging conversation with Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips, blues guitar virtuoso Eric Gales spoke about the loss of neo-soul artist D’Angelo today, Eric’s forthcoming Australian tour, his deeply personal new album A Tribute to Little Jimmy King, and the lasting influence of family, mentors, and musical icons on his craft.
MORE ABOUT THE INTERVIEW & 2025 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES
The interview opened on a sombre note, as Gales reflected on the unexpected passing of D’Angelo, an artist he admired and whose expressive, soul-driven musicality he felt a strong kinship with. Despite the emotional day, Gales shared his excitement for returning to Australia, recalling the energy and warmth of his previous appearance at the Blues on Broadbeach Festival, which he described as “an amazing time” and a “perfect prequel” to his upcoming headline shows.
Gales’ new album pays tribute to his late brother, guitarist Little Jimmy King, featuring contributions from Buddy Guy, MonoNeon, Christone ’Kingfish’ Ingram, and Roosevelt Collier. He plans to perform most of the record live, saying audiences have been “loving what they’re hearing.” Revisiting material from the 1995 Gales Brothers album, Eric explained that including reimagined versions of those songs felt like “a no-brainer,” honouring both family legacy and timeless music.
He praised collaborators like MonoNeon, describing him as “a well-oiled machine for any circumstance,” and said having Buddy Guy on the closing track “rounded off” the record beautifully, given Jimmy’s admiration for the blues legend. Gales also highlighted his desire to bridge generations, pairing Kingfish’s youthful fire with Buddy’s heritage, “It fit perfect like a hand in a glove.”
The guitarist recalled the explosive 2023 Bluesfest jam where he shared the stage with Kingfish, Joe Bonamassa, and Marcus King, a “night of a lifetime,” he said. When told AC/DC would be touring Australia at the same time as him, Gales lit up at the idea of catching their show, noting that Angus Young’s high-voltage stage energy has long inspired his own performances.
Beyond his tribute album, Gales spoke about future plans … possibly a live album within the next year, ongoing work with his Magneto signature guitar, and possible ventures into film soundtracks. As for dream collaborations, his wish to play with John Mayer remains alive, “If it happens, it’ll be great. If it don’t, I’m gonna keep doing what I do.”
Calm and reflective before hitting the stage, Gales said his pre-show ritual is simply “the calm before the storm,” whether in silence or listening to music. And when asked what he’s most looking forward to on this next Australian run, his answer was pure and simple, “Just coming and having a great time with good vibes and the people down under.”
Gerrard Allman Events is pleased to announce an impressive lineup of artists who will be supporting Eric Gales on his Australian tour scheduled for November 2025.
Weds 19 Nov | Princess Theatre, Brisbane | Dana Gehrman Trio.
Thur 20 Nov | Memo Music Hall, St Kilda | The McnaMarr Project.
Fri 21 Nov | Harmonie German Club, Canberra | Karen Lee Andrews.
Sat 22 Nov | Factory Theatre, Marrickville | Karen Lee Andrews.
Mon 24 Nov | The Gov, Adelaide | Karen Lee Andrews.
Weds 26 Nov | Freo Social, Fremantle | Dave Brewer Music Trio.
Fri 28 Nov | The Night Cat, Fitzroy | The McnaMarr Project.
Tickets available www.gaevents.com.au